Barbara Clark Sleeper

Barbara (Brownell) Clark Sleeper
Dover Native, Teacher

Barbara (Brownell) Clark Sleeper, mother of five and teacher and mentor to hundreds died in comfort, surrounded by her children and grandchildren during the early morning hours of Saturday October 16, at the Wentworth Home in Dover. Mrs. Sleeper succumbed to complications from Multiple Myeloma.

Mrs. Sleeper lived to learn, share, and teach. A Dover native, Barbara was born on September 4, 1915 to parents Harold R. and Amy (Towle) Brownell. Barbara’s roots on the Towle side of the family trace back to Dover’s earliest settlers. Barbara grew up on Watson Lane in Dover’s south side, then known as Sawyer’s. Following a three year relocation to Wylder, Vermont, Barbara returned to reside in Dover’s south end, raising her family on Mill Street and Back River Road, before moving to Glenwood Avenue in 1996.

Mrs. Sleeper is survived by her younger sister Jane Haskell of Penacook, cousins Eleanor (Towle) Bohan of Orono, Maine, Jack Towle of Dover, Ann (Coleman) Perkins of Smyra, Tennessee, and her aunt Mrs. George (Lily) Towle of Dover. Mrs. Sleeper was predeceased in 1955 by husband and father of her children, Ernest A. Clark, second husband Harold C. Sleeper in 1990, eldest daughter Sara-Susan “Sally” Clary in 1993, son-in-law Frederick D. “Rebel” Clary in 1997, and sister Beverly Allaire, all formerly of Dover, as well as step-daughter Marilyn (Sleeper) Reed of Jeffersonville Vermont, and recently by sister-in-law Elizabeth (Clark) Stevens formerly of Dover.

Barbara was a communicant of St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church, where she and “Sid” Clark married in 1939 and later she and Harold C. Sleeper married in 1963. Barbara was a member of the Altar Guild in the 50’s and 60’s in the more recent years did outreach to ill and shut-in parishioners.

In 1932 Barbara was awarded the American Girls Scout Golden Eagle. Following graduation from Dover High School in 1933 and from the University of New Hampshire in 1937, Mrs. Sleeper taught at North Stratford School, Rollinsford Grade School, Coe-Brown Academy, Exeter High School and seventeen years at Dover High School prior to retirement in 1977. In addition to her home economics teaching responsibilities, Mrs. Sleeper served as a class advisor for a number of Dover High School classes, supervised Future Homemakers of America, and headed the school’s nurses’ aide program. Balancing her career with raising a family, Mrs. Sleeper was once named Women of the Year by the Dover Business and Professional Women’s Club. Mrs. Sleeper was a sorority sister of Alpha Delta Kappa IOTA Chapter, a member of the National Retired Teachers’ Association, New Hampshire RTA, and Strafford County Retired Teachers. During her retirement, Mrs. Sleeper stayed very active as a tutor with Dover Adult Learning Center, the board of managers of the Wentworth Home, as a member of the St. Thomas’ Church crafts group and the Pastoral Care Committee. Mrs. Sleeper took great pride in her association with alumni groups from Dover High School and the University of New Hampshire.

Mrs. Sleeper is survived by daughters Lian Obrey of Groton, Connecticut, Barbara McCreedy of Old Orchard Beach, Maine, sons Harold Brownell Clark and his wife Patricia (LaPoint) and Ernest Aaron Clark, II and his wife Ann (Devereaux), all of Dover, and by step-son Roger Sleeper and his wife Mary (Fisher) of Vergennes, Vermont. Barbara is survived by twelve grandchildren Coleen (Clary) Smith, Clinton A. Obrey, Clark D. Clary, Christopher E. Obrey, Allison (McCreedy) Casey, Amy (McCreedy) Chamberlain, Chad E. Obrey, Jessica A. Clark, Archie B. Clark, Dian M. Clark, Andrew S. Clark, and Ashley E. Clark, and by five great grandchildren Katherine Clary, Kenneth Smith, Krystal Smith, CJ Obrey, and Sarah Casey. Additional survivors include daughter Joan Konicki and her children David Konicki and Francine (Konicki) Sproul of Connecticut, niece Bertha (Stevens) McGeary and her husband Joseph of Lee, as well as step-son-in-law Frank Reed, nine step-grandchildren and seventeen step grandchildren Gordon Reed, Harold Reed, David Reed, Raymond Reed, Karen (Reed) Hango, Mark Sleeper, Greg Sleeper, Jeffrey Sleeper, Janet (Sleeper) Cloutier, all of Vermont, former son-in-law Steve E. Obrey of Somersworth, and grandson Rick Leyshon of Ohio. Also, several step great-grandchildren Hanna, Emily, Fletcher, Gardner, Charlie, Dylan, Whitney, Katie, Abbie, Mark, Mary, Emily, Bradley, Amy, Allison, Jenna, and Andrew, and niece Donna (Wyatt) Preve and nephews Bruce Wyatt, David Wyatt, Scott Wyatt, and Robert Wyatt all of the Penacook area.

In accordance with Mrs. Sleeper’s wishes, there are no calling hours. A memorial service will be held at 10am Wednesday October 20, 2004 at the St. Thomas Episcopal Church, corner of Locust and Hale Streets Dover, N.H. with the Rev. Robert S. Ervin, rector officiating The service will be immediately followed by a continuation of a celebration of life by family and friends in the adjoining parish. Family flowers only requested. Barbara Sleeper’s favorite charities and non-profits were St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 5 Hale Street; Dover, NH 03820; Dover Public Library, 73 Locust Street, Dover, NH 03820; the Dover Adult Learning Center, 22 Atkinson Street, Dover, NH 03820; the Wentworth Home, 795 Central Avenue, Dover, NH 03820 and The Woodman Institute and Museum, Central Avenue, Dover, NH 03820.

Arrangements are under the direction of Wiggin-Purdy-McCooey-Dion Funeral Home, Dover, NH To sign our on-line guest book visit us at www.purdyfuneralservice.com.